Setting children up for success starts before they’re even born. Ellen Darling, Ph.D. ’16, developed the Before Baby Relationship Checkup — adapted from the Marriage Checkup created by Clark psychology Professor James Córdova — to strengthen relationships between parents who are expecting a child. Darling explains how bettering a birthing parent’s mental health improves social, emotional, and cognitive outcomes for babies. 

“You’re influencing a whole system. By improving mom’s health, she’s more able to attend to, and be attuned to, the developing infant,” Darling says. “You’re impacting a whole other generation and getting that generation off to a good start.”

Challenge. Change. is produced by Melissa Hanson and Andrew Hart for Clark University. Find other episodes wherever you listen to podcasts. Listen and subscribe on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.